[Dixielandjazz] Condon WBD, Fire in the Belly.

[John Petters]

Stephen G Barbone wrote:

> Condon groups all played with fire at his clubs in NYC. Perhaps the 
> fieriest was when Brunies was on trombone next to WBD. They had a sort 
> of a competition between them to see who could play hotter . . . and 
> louder. Cutshall replaced Brunies when B left to go to Chicago circa 
> 1950 or so. Still fiery but not quite as much.

Hi Folks,
Steve is of course correct. This music is about fire. It is not called 
HOT music for no reason. The Brunies / Davison Commodores are terrific, 
especially 'That's A Plenty'. This should be essential listening for any 
  would be jazz musician and should be compulsive re-listening to 
remind-you-how-it-goes - every so often for the seasoned pro.

To my ear, this era steamed perhaps a bit more than the '50s Condon. I 
think Wettling became more polite and certainly less interesting in the 
'50s. Gone were the exciting snare patterns in his accompaniments, and 
the exciting rim work.

The Town Hall concerts, especially when Krupa was stoking the rhythm 
section, were also high of high energy. I  would add the session I have 
referred to before - 'Jazz at the New School' from 1972, with Wild Bill, 
Kenny Davern, Dick Wellstood Condon & Krupa & no bass. This was Condon's 
last recording and only about a year before Gene died. He was sufferring 
from Lukeamia, a heart condition and a bad back, yet the small band 
drives like crazy.

Traditional jazz is a young, virile music. Yes it can be played by old 
men. Bill was 83 when I worked with him and 85 year-old Art Hodes, yet 
they still played as though their lives depended on it. In Art's case 
there was no fall off in terms of ability - the piano is more fogiveing 
of age than the cornet.


> Funny thing is, that the Lu Watters band also played with tremendous 
> fire and volume. Most of their clone bands today miss that by a mile. 
> Too much listening to records at low volume again and not enough 
> listening to them live, or talking with those who did see them live. 
> IMO, They get the notes, but neither the fire, nor the volume.
> 

Too many bands sound tired and lack lustre, normally because they do not 
listen to the right things, in the right way, often enough.

If you are serious about your playing, you need to purge yourself out of 
the rock soaked media, which inflicts all of our lives, all of the time. 
Continually absorbing Louis, Bechet, Condon etc, so the sounds become 
part of your being is an essential pursuit. I have Itunes on all the 
time when I am in my office.

Unlike you Steve,  lucky to be around at the time in the place it was 
happening, most of us have to rely on recordings. The few times I worked 
with the American legends, WBD, Hodes, Lawson, Butterfield Al Casey, 
Davern & Slim Gaillard during the '80s were precious moments of being 
connected to a source of inspiration, no longer available today, except 
through recordings. How much would I have benefitted from hearing Bechet 
or Louis live?
Keep swinging


John Petters
www.traditional-jazz.com
Amateur Radio Station G3YPZ